Like all youth, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and intersex youth and other sexual- and gender-diverse children and adolescents (LGBTQI+ youth) deserve to grow up in supportive environments absent stigma and discrimination that allow them to thrive and achieve their human potential.
When seeking behavioral health treatment (both mental health and substance use interventions), these children and adolescents, like their peers, and their families deserve the best evidencebased care from knowledgeable health providers without the risk of harm.
This report, Moving Beyond Change Efforts: Evidence and Action to Support and Affirm LGBTQI+ Youth, provides behavioral health providers, researchers, policymakers, and other audiences with current knowledge about LGBTQI+ youth, a comprehensive research overview, and important information on behavioral health concerns within this community. More specifically, the report provides details on helpful and harmful interventions for these populations in clinical, community, family, and school settings. In particular, the report documents that attempts to change an individual’s sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI; pronounced “SO-gee” change efforts) are harmful and should not be provided. Additionally, this report discusses evidence-informed policy options that could improve the overall health and well-being of LGBTQI+ youth.
Population of Focus: LGBTQ+
Links to Resources:
- Read the full report, Moving Beyond Change Efforts: Evidence and Action to Support and Affirm LGBTQI+ Youth
- Read Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender Nonconforming People
- Find resources through the Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity
- Find resources through the National Institutes of Health Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office
Date: 2023